Researcher earns endowed position in chemical engineering
January 19, 2010
A nationally recognized Bagley College of Engineering (BCoE) bio-fuel researcher will assume an endowed position within the Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering.
Dr. Rafael Hernandez, an associate professor, is the first to hold the Texas Olefins Endowed Professorship since it was vacated in 2005.
“It is an honor to receive the Texas Olefins Professorship because of all the great people it represents,” Hernandez explained. “It will provide resources to enhance research capabilities and continue our recruiting efforts to attract excellent students and staff into the biofuels program, which are crucial factors in strengthening our reputation as one of the national leaders in the biofuels area.”
Hernandez joined the BCoE faculty as an instructor after earning his doctorate from the university in 2002. Since that time, he has moved up the faculty ranks and helped establish the university as a leader in alternative fuel research.
As a principal investigator, he has received more than $7 million in funding for projects including novel research to convert residue from wastewater treatment facilities into a viable alternative for biodiesel. This endeavor is now at the pilot-plant testing phase and has earned recognition from government officials and national alternative energy organizations.
Hernandez has delivered more than 80 technical presentations and been an invited presenter for numerous organizations including the National Biodiesel Board and the National Renewable Energy Lab. He was also instrumental in planning the first MSU Biofuels Conference, which has become an annual event and draws participants from around the country.
Outside of the lab, Hernandez uses his research to help enhance the classroom experience for his students earning him high marks in student evaluations. In addition to advising graduate students, he also routinely employs undergraduate research assistants, giving them valuable real-world experience.
Before coming to MSU, Hernandez worked as an engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg, Miss., and later as an instructor at the University of Puerto Rico where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering. He now serves as an ambassador to universities in Puerto Rico to help students organize recruiting visits to Mississippi State.
Dave Swalm, a 1955 graduate and longtime chemical engineering department supporter, established the professorship in 2001. The endowment was made possible by the sale of Swalm’s Texas Olefin Co., which had become the nation’s largest privately owned company for petroleum-related products. Bearing the company’s name, the professorship is now awarded, based on a committee decision, to nominees who enhance the department through their research and teaching efforts.
“Mr. Swalm’s generosity contributed immensely to enhance the quality of education for MSU’s engineering students in general, and chemical engineering in particular,” Hernandez said. “I am committed to emulate his dedication and commitment to engineering education in Mississippi by striving for excellence in teaching, researching and service.”
Additional information about the Bagley College of Engineering can be found at www.bagley.msstate.edu.